Look After You
by GemmaJadeX-FilesSpade
Summary: Set early season 4 before Scully's cancer. Scully is sick (I didn't want to suffer alone :P) But yeah. Read&Review? T cuz Scully Drops the F-Bomb in chapter 2. She's sick leave her be.


This is my first X-Files fanfic so don't judge too harshly :P this fanfic is because I'm ill & decided to make Scully sick, this is also to commemorate the fact I met Gillian Anderson :D Saturday 25th May at Milton Keynes. Anyone else? It was amazing & I got an awesome photo wit her & she gave me the amused Scully eyebrow! I shit you not. Then she remembered me at the photoshoot like 4 hours after originally meeting me :D my friend also met the dude who played Gimili in LOTR & he stole her hat for the picture :D was an amazing day!

This is also to introduce a new character, young Miss Jade Rileigh. I was thinking if people like the idea, I sorta do a season rewrite? With her coming in when Scully has cancer cuz they think she'll die so they need a new 'spy' I have it thought out & everything so review & tell me if you like the sound of it? *BatsEyelashes*

Disclaimer: I'm Chris Carters close relative so when he dies the X-Files is being left to me, is that a motive, I hear? *CocksGun*

Set early Season 4 before Scully is diagnosed with cancer *Sobs*

FBI Headquarters

Washington DC

Tuesday 8:11am

The auburn-haired beauty adjusts her black suit jacket & wipes away the imaginary dust on her matching pencil skirt. It's an action performed every ten minutes or so to ensure she constantly appears put together, a worthy adversary for any man in the same position as her, a feat easily accomplished after years of practise. Dana Katherine Scully was nothing if not proud of herself & how she had reached a reasonably high rung in the ladder of the FBI. A position scarcely reached by a woman who ignored the advances of powerful men promising her greatness if she indulged them in five minutes of guilty pleasure. Yes, Dana Scully was proud, & that pride shone through her every movement. Every step, every breath, even every stumble. Nearly every female agent in the building was envious of her ability to hold her head up high even when some idiotic green agent, high on their new-found power, tripped on their too long tie sending coffee flying to the ground, splattering all over Agent Scully's white pant-suit. They envied her ability to fix the green agent with one of her familiar icy stares, ignore the people fawning over her trying to clean her up or determine if she was burned in any way, & simply side step the situation. Her face proud, her walk steady, & the calm response thrown over her shoulder.

"I'll send you my dry cleaning bill." Even with a nickname like 'The Ice-Queen', Dana Scully is a woman to be envied.

The elevator dings as the doors spring open, making way for Scully to enter. She remains the seemingly unreachable statue even when she performs a most human act, pressing the button to take her down to the basement where her office & partner resides. Even her so-called 'Speciality' of the X-Files cannot sully her image, although it had done so to her partner. An aptly named 'Spooky' Mulder. It was doubtful that agents that had only been at the bureau 4 years or less even knew his first name. He didn't let people close enough to catch a glimpse of his official badge stating the offending name. Fox. An unusual name for an unusual man. The exact unusual man that this decidedly ordinary woman had risked her life & job for on numerous occasions. She had foregone strict procedure & protocol rarely disobeyed for one man & his mission. He had re-payed her by saving her while saving him & she had never judged him nor despised him for endangering everything. Not even when her sister was shot, instead she had blamed herself. That was Scully's way, she never could blame Mulder, until today.

The elevator dings once more, stating its arrival at the basement & Scully massages her temples as her headache grows from the unwelcome aural assault. She strides purposely but quietly off of the elevator & into the office where Mulder greets her.

"Morning partner." He sifts through the files on his desk until he hears a sneeze in lieu of a response & looks up. He notes her pale face & eyes ringed with black, a noticeable contrast to her skin, & her red nose. He smiles sheepishly at her.

"You look like hell." She raises her trademark eyebrow.

"Gee thanks." She replies, her voice sounding scratchy & forced.

"Skinner called. He wants us in his office ASAP. Do you want me to tell him you're not up to it?"

"I'm fine, Mulder." He studies her face intently for any signs of her letting up & admitting she's ill. She doesn't, & he's not surprised in the least.

"Scully, you're not fine." He insists.

"Mulder, you survived this exact same thing at the weekend, I'm sure I will aswell."

"Well I rested & had my doctor partner looking after me." At this Scully rolls her eyes & sets her bag down on her chair at the opposite side of Mulder's at their shared desk.

"Come on, Skinner's expecting us."

They wait patiently outside Skinner's office for him to see them. Scully sits on one of the soft chairs massaging her temples as Mulder stands & A.D Skinner's secretary, Kimberly, sits at her desk. Both watch her concerned. Scully sniffles then coughs, not letting herself look up, for fear of dizziness, until a plastic cup half-filled with water is offered to her. She glances up to see it's Mulder holding the cup & takes it, lifting it to her stained red lips & taking a small sip.

The door to A.D Skinner's office opens & he beckons them inside. Scully sets the cup down on the table & rises, faltering when her vision blurs. Mulder rests his hand on her lower back, offering his support subtly.

"Agent Scully, are you alright?" Scully blinks away the dizziness to see her superior watching her concerned.

"I'm fine, sir."

"She has the flu." Mulder tells him.

"I'm fine." Scully insists a little more sharply to her partner.

"Agent Scully I would feel better if you would go home." Skinner says with gentle authority.

"And I would feel better if people stopped doubting my ability as a medical doctor to determine whether I'm well enough to work, sir." She counters. Agent & A.D match each-others determined glares waiting for the other to give in. Scully raises her perfectly plucked eyebrow & the balding man falters then ushers the two into his office. The agents sit on the chairs opposite Skinner's & he begins. Whatever the meeting is about, Scully can't determine because a few seconds after she sits down her head spins & her stomach turns upside down. She tries to squelch the feeling but after a minute, which feels like an hour, passes, it becomes too much to bear. She bolts up & out the door which leads directly to the main corridor, ignoring the worried calls from her partner & superior, & into the female rest-room. She is relieved when she finds it empty but she has little time to dwell on the relief as she falls to her knees in front of the porcelain bowl & her stomach contents expel themselves rather violently. Her chest heaves as her stomach does the same & she prays for relief. It comes in some small dose by a large manly hand pulling her hair off her face & another rubbing her back. She doesn't have to glance back, even if she was able, she knows exactly who it is. He makes shh-ing noises designed to soothe her & it works slightly. She heaves until there's nothing left then leans her head on her arms rested on the toilet seat.

"Mulder, this is the ladies room." She croaks.

"Well I've been looking for a good excuse to get in here for months now." He jokes. She rolls her eyes even though with her head down he can't see it. The door to the rest-room swings open & Kimberly walks in quietly, holding a cup of water which she sets down on the floor within Mulder's grasp, nods politely at him & after a worried glance at Scully she turns around & walks back out. Scully feels her stomach muscles contract once more & lifts her head over the bowl once more as the only thing to force itself up her throat is liquid. She feels Mulder's hands pulling her hair back again & rubbing her back.

"You'll be okay Dana, just let it all out. You'll feel much better after." He soothes. This time when she is finished she tears off a strip of toilet paper & wipes her mouth before dropping the wad of tissue into the toilet & flushing, then sits back onto Mulder's legs & leans into his shoulder, breathing deeply with her eyes closed. He picks up the cup of water & lifts it to her lips. She takes a short sip then waits for her stomach to protest. When it doesn't she takes another, & another, until the cup is empty & he drops it to the floor.

"You done for now?" He asks her.

"Yes, thank you Mulder." He shrugs.

"I'm your partner, its what I'm here for."

The door to the ladies room swings open & a brunette agent unknown to the pair strolls in. She stops at the open cubicle when she realises two people are in there. She bites her lip & immediately turns back around & walks out the door. Her interruption is all it takes to snap Dana back to reality & send her scrambling to stand up.

"Easy now, Scully." Strong arms keep her from standing up & she's too weak to fight him.

"We've got to go back to Skinner, he'll think we're up to something if we stay here for much longer." She reasons quietly.

"I think he realises you're ill, Scully." She doesn't even have the strength to come up with her usual reply of 'I'm fine', which worries him somewhat. Scully inhales then exhales deeply when she realises what just transpired.

"I'm sorry you had to see this, Mulder." She murmurs then coughs, agitating her stomach once more & she leans over the toilet & expels the water she had not so long ago consumed. She leans back again, her stomach aching from over-exertion & emptiness.

"Now I'm done." She states, wincing from the discomfort. Her last words slur slightly as her vision decreases then fades to black & she is granted a temporary reprieve from the pain & embarrassment at the situation. Mulder watches as her eyes slip closed & she goes limp in his arms.

"Scully? Scully?" He questions, shaking her gently. She does not respond. He would have felt her forehead to test her temperature but he didn't need to, he could feel her fever burning his skin where they touched. He shakes her a little more vigorously, trying to get a response. "Dana?" Still nothing. He curses as he slips one arm under her knees & the other around her waist & stands up, holding her bridal style. Oh if only it was that romantic, he muses. She lies limp in his arms, not reacting to his protective actions. He carries her out of the cubicle, kicks open the rest-room door & carries her into the main corridor where a small group of agents are waiting. Mostly females, aiming to get either relief for their bladders or a good story, the only two people he acknowledges the existence of are A.D Skinner & Kimberly.

"She passed out." He mumbles to them. The gathering agents gape at the prone form of The Ice Queen in Spooky Mulder's arms & Skinner motions for them to leave as he orders Mulder to carry her into his office & lay her on the couch in there. On the short walk there he orders Kimberly to retrieve the first aid kit from her desk, thankful that its FBI policy for all secretaries to have completed a full course in first aid. Skinner follows his agent into his office & watches as he gently lays his partner on the couch, propping a cushion underneath her head & pushing the hair off of her face. Kimberly bustles into the room, dropping the first aid kit on the coffee table before popping it open. She takes out the oral thermometer as she questions Mulder to determine why Dana passed out.

"Scully doesn't like eating when she's ill so she probably hasn't eaten since yesterday." He figures. "She also lost all of her liquids & passed out before I could get anymore into her." He states as Kimberly holds the thermometer under Scully's tongue for a reasonable amount of time then taking it out & reading it.

"She has a fever of 103." She informs them. "I'll get a damp cloth." She starts for the door but Skinner halts her.

"Should we call an ambulance?"

"Not unless she gets worse." She tells him. He nods, dismissing her. Mulder kneels down in front of her & his hand hovers above her face, dying to touch her but scared she'll break even though a voice in the back of his head tells him it takes more then one simple touch to break Dana Scully. A helluva lot more. Now that he really thinks about it, the voice sounds strangely feminine, & it wasn't Phoebe Greene that was for damn sure. Scully sniffles in her unconscious state & his eyes immediately snap to her face, searching for any signs that she's about to open her soft blue eyes & chide him for staring at her, again.

"Dammit Scully." He sighs.

He hears the office door open & turns around, his eyes catching the form of Walter Skinner standing by the door silently watching the entire scene, then pass him to see Kimberly holding a damp cloth in her hand & an incredibly young looking female behind her. The woman has dark brown hair, almost black with honey highlights. She acts about 10 years older then the age Mulder has predicted for her, the only real indication of her youth is the tattoo on her inner wrist & a single irish green highlight barely visible in her hair, matching her nails. She has no badge visible to state that she's a visitor & with the observation that she's too young to be an agent. Mulder rises, ready on the defensive when the woman holds up her arms as a metaphorical white flag & she simply states in a slight british accent.

"Its okay. I have medical training."

Hey, that's Scully's line! The immature part of his brain thinks, as he relaxes his posture slightly but doesn't let his line of sight stray. He watches the woman like a hawk as she takes the damp cloth from Kimberly, steps over to Scully & sits on the edge of the couch next to her so she can better assess her 'patient'. She places a hand over Scully's clammy forehead before gingerly lowering the cloth to it. She addresses the room.

"Does anybody have any smelling salts?"

"There should be some in the first aid kit." Skinner tells her. Kimberly sees her presence is no longer warranted & steps out of the office & closes the door. The woman rifles through the box, searching for the desired item as Skinner introduces them to make himself feel even slightly useful.

"Agent Fox Mulder this is Jade Rileigh, she's just been recruited by the Bureau."

"You look a little young to be recruited if you don't mind me saying." Mulder observes.

"I'm 21. The FBI decided they couldn't wait another 5 years for me to join them & luckily I got my credentials a little earlier." She states, with not pride or big-headed-ness, merely indifference.

"Wow." Mulder says, monotonously, as though it doesn't bother him when in fact he's impressed. She makes no attempt to carry on the conversation as she cracks open the smelling salts underneath Scully's nose. Scully's eyes flicker under her eyelids then flutter open. She covers her mouth & nose from the offending odour invading her sense & Mulder drops the ugly metal FBI standard bin next to the couch where, if she has to throw up again, all she has to do is lean over slightly.

"Scully, you okay?" He enquires, kneeling on the floor again, next to her head. She gets her bearings & tries to sit up, but Jade places a firm hand on her shoulder to stop her & Scully is too weak to resist.

"Its okay, Agent Scully, you passed out. You have a fever, nothing life threatening but you need to go home & rest." She then addresses Mulder. "You'll need to take her home & make sure someone stays with her until she starts getting better. She has a flu virus & what sounds like a chest & throat infection. Give her Paracetamol or Ibuprofen as & when she needs it & cold cloths to keep the fever down. If her fever rises or she gets any worse take her to the hospital. Feel better soon Agent Scully, & don't sit up for another 5 minutes or so." She says as she stands up then walks out with a polite nod at Skinner. Mulder rises & perches on the couch where Jade had sat & turns the cloth over so Scully gets the cold side again.

"Mulder?" Scully conveys her real question in one word & a vulnerable unsure tone never before heard in her voice.

"Its okay, you were out of it for a while though. If you wanted to be in my arms you could've just asked, Scully." He jests. Even in her weakened state, she still raises her eyebrow at him.

"How are you feeling now, Agent Scully?" Skinner's voice enquires from the other side of the room.

"Sir?" She squeaks in a voice several octaves higher then usual as she pushes herself up, not allowing herself to be too vulnerable in front of her superior. Her eyesight blurs again & she shuffles back slightly & leans her back against the armrest, thankful its a high one. Skinner eyes her disapprovingly. "I believe you should have stayed lying down for another 4 minutes, Agent."

"I'm feeling much better now, thank you, Sir." After that statement she inhales & the air gets caught in her throat causing her to cough & splutter.

"Agent Mulder, in the cabinet next to the couch there are a few bottles of water, get one for Agent Scully." He orders. Mulder does as he's told, a rarity, Skinner notes, & after a few sips Scully's coughing fit is reduced to raspy breathing.

"Thank you." She rasps & both men assume its aimed at the both of them. "I am sorry for the inconvenience & hassle this has caused, sir."

"Noted & ignored, Agent. Now I reiterate my earlier statement & this time you have no choice. I would feel better now if you would let Agent Mulder take you home."

"Yes sir." She takes another sip of the water & shivers.

"Scully, you okay?" Her partner asks. His hazel speckled green eyes flashing with concern.

"I'm fine, Mulder. Its just cold in here." He changes her position, taking advantage of the fact she's too tired to fight him, until she's sat with her feet curled underneath her and he has his arm around her shoulders with her leaning into him. He gently runs his hand up & down her arms to assist in her warming up even though she still feels feverishly hot. Scully resists his actions at first, stiffening in his arms but gives in to the not wholly terrible sensations his trying to warm her up invokes. She relaxes into his side, ignoring the small voice in the back of her mind that she usually listened to telling her to resist & to not be weak enough to seek comfort in a man, even if it was Mulder.

"Jesus Mulder." She breathes, before giving into her largest desire at that exact moment, & she drifts off.

"Is she okay, Agent Mulder?" Skinner asks, unsure whether the female agent is sleeping or unconscious.

"She will be." Mulder replies before slipping an arm under her knees & the other around her waist for the second time that day & lifts her up. This time he does not let her head fall back as he carries her, instead resting it on his chest, portraying an image of peaceful comforting slumber.

Dana Scully's Apartment Building

Georgetown

9:26am

Dana doesn't wake until they pull up outside of her apartment building. She is lay down on the back seat of Mulder's car with his jacket draped over her. She sneezes, alerting her partner to her consciousness.

"Hey, sleeping beauty." Mulder greets her. "How are you feeling?"

"Great." She sniffles then sits up straight, moaning as the pounding in her head increases. "Mulder, how did I get into your car?"

"Same way you got into Skinner's office."

"And how did I get into Skinner's office?"

"I carried you." He tells her.

"Damn." She curses under her breath.

"Well I would have let you walk but you were kind of out of commission." He says with a hint of humour in his tone. "Do you wanna walk now?"

"Oh yeah." She breathes. Mulder climbs out of the car & opens the door for his sick partner. She slides herself towards the open door & sets her feet on the ground, pulling herself up as she does so.

"Hoo boy." She murmurs, holding the hand not gripping the top of the car door to her head. Mulder skirts around the door & puts his arm around her waist, supporting her in case she falls. Scully turns her body from him when she feels his touch, glaring at him. He ignores her icy glare & keeps his arm around her, not even risking her fainting & harming herself in the process.

"Aw c'mon Scully, I've been waiting years to touch you & now I have a real reason. Indulge me." He flashes his trademark charming smile at her. She does not ease up her watch on him, although she doesn't try to pull away from him again. He supports her all the way into her apartment where she sinks down onto the sofa with a sigh, he sits on the other side of the sofa & takes off his jacket. Scully turns to him & raises her eyebrow, as if to say 'And what do you think you're doing?'.

"I was told you weren't to be left alone until you're better. I'm only following orders." He grins.

"Of all the times too start following orders, you pick now." She mutters in a resigned tone while pulling the afghan, generally kept on the back of her sofa, around her shoulders. Mulder jumps up, startling her slightly, & heads into the kitchen where he finds her ibuprofen & thermometer. Scully watches him from the sofa, coughing & sniffing pathetically. She closes her eyes for a brief moment & when she opens them again Mulder is in front of her. She jumps at the unexpected sight of him & coughs. Mulder reaches for the bottle of water from Skinners office & offers it to her along with two round pills & a weak smile. She swallows the pills & washes them down with the water, smiling gratefully at her partner.

"Open wide." He suddenly say & as she opens her mouth to ask 'What?' He thrusts the thermometer into her mouth. Her grateful smile turns into a scowl & she mutters a sentence that sounds vaguely like:

"Mulder, I hate you." He just pretends he hasn't heard her & concentrates on the thermometer. After a few moments he pulls it out & reads the result aloud.

"Still 103." He stands up & tugs at Scully's arm to get her to stand up aswell, slowly. He leads her into the bedroom & sits her on the bed as he rifles through her pajama drawer.

"Mulder!?" She exclaims.

"Don't worry, I'm not looking much." He tells her, then pulls out a pair of boy shorts & a vest. "You get changed while I'm outside."

He walks out & into the bathroom where he wets a cloth with cold water, then knocks on the bedroom door.

"Come in." Scully calls, her voice sounding slightly raspy. He enters to see her lying on the bed in the shorts & vest & nods in approval.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine." Comes the usual reply. This time its him who raises his eyebrow sceptically. Nevertheless he steps over & places the damp cloth on her forehead. She frowns & shivers.

"Sorry Scully, I wanna get your temperature down."

"Mulder, I'm fine. Just go back to work okay."

"No." He states simply, & she's too tired to argue with him.

"Then go in the living room & watch tv." She insists & he complies.


End file.
